Wednesday, December 07, 2016
Siemens Healthineers presents at RSNA 2016 the innovative robot-supported Artis phenoangiography system. Artis pheno was developed for use in minimally invasive surgery,interventional radiology and interventional cardiology. The zen40HDR flat panel detectorand the GIGALIX X-ray tube give the Artis pheno outstanding image quality. Resolution for2D imaging is four times higher – compared to prior systems of Siemens Healthineers – inall recording processes thanks to the system’s new 2k recording technology. TheStructureScout feature can adapt and optimize imaging parameters to best suit the materialstructure of the area being X-rayed, which enables even less radiation to be used comparedto prior systems of Siemens Healthineers . Artis pheno is designed to support treatment ofmultimorbid patients, and can be fitted with a comprehensive range of optional softwareapplications to deal with complex cases. Thanks to the hygiene approach developedespecially for Artis pheno, the system has large, sealed surfaces with fewer spaces, whichhelps users with system cleaning.
A single system for multimorbid patients
Patients often suffer from multiple health issues that can make minimally invasive surgerymore difficult or even impossible. The growing number of older patients, in particular, facesadditional risks because of the associated incidence of chronic disease. SiemensHealthineers has recognized these trends, and its innovative Artis pheno angiography system helps its customers respond accordingly: because it can scan up to 15 percent fasterin the body area – compared to prior systems of Siemens Healthineers –, syngo DynaCT isable to produce 3D images that need less contrast agent for the imaging process. “We see ahigh number of multimorbid patients with impaired kidney function in the angio suite,” saysProf. Frank Wacker, MD, Director of the Institute for Diagnostic and InterventionalRadiology at Hanover Medical School. “Shorter scan times help reduce the amount ofiodinated contrast agent during 3D angiography in the thorax and abdomen by up to 15percent.” If the patient is sensitive to the contrast agent, Artis pheno can also support CO2imaging of the extremities. The system follows the tilted table and increases CO2 visibilityusing the new StructureScout.
The C-arm is 13 centimeters wider and has a free inner diameter of 95.5 centimeters, whichoffers more space for handling adipose patients and means longer instruments can be usedwithout difficulty. The Siemens Healthineers multi-tilt table is also designed toaccommodate patients weighing up to 280 kilograms. The end of the table can be tilte both up and down, to stabilize the patient’s blood pressure, for example, or to makebreathing easier when necessary. The robotic construction of the Artis pheno gives it aflexible isocenter that it shares with its predecessor, the Artis zeego. This means theangiography system can follow all table positions and provide the best possible imagingsupport for the patient’s treatment, while representing the target area of the body fromvirtually any angle. Artis pheno can also be combined with surgical tables from Maquet undTrumpf, which enable patients to be specially positioned for operations. Typical positionsinvolve patients lying on their side, stretched out on their side, or even sitting. Artis phenocan support imaging in all of these positions.
Healthy working position for the surgeons
The ability to work standing upright with minimum additional effort is of particularimportance to enable the surgeon – wearing a heavy lead apron – to perform often lengthyoperations without becoming fatigued. Surgeons must also maintain optimum accesswithin the operating area at all times. That’s why they can move the easy-float tabletop onthe new Siemens Healthineers multi-tilt table with minimal effort, regardless of how muchthe tabletop has been tilted on either of its axes, or how heavy the patient is. Artis phenorecognizes the position of the tabletop at all times, and automatically aligns itself to thetabletop with every movement. The memory positions let the system move the C-arm out of the operating area quickly if necessary, giving the surgeon and the operating team freeaccess to the patient, and then move it back to exactly the same position again for furtherimaging. This means results can be checked directly, even while the operation is still inprogress.
Support for spinal fusion procedures
To remain competitive as a healthcare provider, innovative software applications areessential, to ensure full preparedness for increasingly complex minimally invasive surgicalprocedures. This is why there are many additional optional application packages that can beused with the Artis pheno to suit the customer’s requirements as complex cases arise. Artispheno supports spinal fusion procedures, for example. Up to ten vertebrae can bevisualized in 3D imaging using syngo DynaCT Large Volume. Syngo Needle Guidance thenmakes it possible to plan extensive procedures using screws or needles. Screw paths can beplanned with precision, and the Automatic Path Alignment function automatically aligns theC-arm to follow them. The laser integrated in the image detector shows the surgeon theplanned path, which helps improve both accuracy and speed in the OR. This can result ingood savings, since longer operations mean higher costs. Using this software applicationcan help minimize the rate of screw positioning errors in the spine and also speed up thework process in this area. Additionally, follow-up costs which might arise from correctiveinterventions might be reduced.
Easier identification and attribution of arterial vessels
A number of applications on the Artis pheno support transarterial chemoembolization(TACE) of tumors. TACE involves supplying embolic particles coated with achemotherapeutic drug via a catheter directly into the arteries leading to the tumor. Usingsyngo DynaCT 360, it takes just six seconds for the Artis pheno to generate a large-volumeimage of the liver or lung, for example, including the anatomy of the tumor and the vesselsleading to it. Rapid rotation is vitally important in reducing movement artifacts, since thepatients are given only local sedation for the TACE procedure. The syngo EmbolizationGuidance application renders arterial vessels visible and helps distinguish the vessels andtreatment paths using color-coding. Graphic overlaying of the selected vessel paths withthe real-time X-ray images makes the vessels that supply the tumor visible for simplifiedmicrocatheter navigation which can save the dose of both radiation and contrast agent.Special hygiene approach developed More than 30,000 patients die in Germany every year just from infections picked up in thehospital.1High patient infection rates are a key challenge for hospitals, which need to befully equipped to deal with them. That’s why Artis pheno was developed using a dedicatedhygiene approach. An antimicrobial coating prevents bacteria and viruses from multiplyingon the system. Seamless surfaces with no recesses, and spaces that are easy to access,make the system easier to clean. The wiring is routed inside the system to prevent cablesfrom becoming dirty and potentially transmitting bacteria. Cleaning instructions suppliedwith the system are intended to enable optimized cleaning and disinfection of the system.Because the system is floor-mounted, it is easier to install in the operating suite, and thesterile air flow from the ceiling is interrupted during imaging only by the flat-panel detector.
Study by the German Society for Hospital Hygiene (Deutsche Gesellschaft für
Krankenhaushygiene e.V.) – http://www.krankenhaushygiene.de/informationen/hygienetipp/hygienetipp2015/557.
The products/features (here mentioned) are not commercially available in all countries. Due to regulatory reasons their futureavailability cannot be guaranteed. Further details are available from the local Siemens organizations.
Press pictures are available at www.siemens.com/press/PR2016110085HCEN.
Contact for journalists
Kathrin Palder
Phone: +65 6490 8672; E-mail: Kathrin.Palder@siemens.com
Siemens Healthineers is the separately managed healthcare business of Siemens AG enabling healthcare providers worldwideto meet their current challenges and to excel in their respective environments. A leader in medical technology, SiemensHealthineers is constantly innovating its portfolio of products and services in its core areas of diagnostic and therapeuticimaging and in laboratory diagnostics and molecular medicine. Siemens Healthineers is also actively developing its digitalhealth services and enterprise services. To help customers succeed in today’s dynamic healthcare marketplace, SiemensHealthineers is championing new business models that maximize opportunity and minimize risk for healthcare providers.In fiscal 2016, which ended on September 30, 2016, Siemens Healthineers generated revenue of €13.5 billion and net incomeof over €2.3 billion and has about 46,000 employees worldwide. Further information is available at
www.siemens.com/healthineers
